Circuit-closing device.



PATBHTED MAY 14. 1907.

E. A. BALDWIN.

OIROUIT CLOSING DEVICE. nruoumx mum man. mu.

2 BERNIE-BEBE! 1 awvww PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

R. A. BALDWIN.

CIRCUIT ULOSING DEVICE. "rum-non 21mm June. 1200.

2 SHEETS-B81131 2.

.provide a device UNITED STATES HULLIN A. BAilDWlN,

IAIEl T OFFICE.

ASSN) NUlt 'i() TION ()F CONNE TIOUT.

CIRCUIT-CLOSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907.

Application filed July 19,1906. Serial No. 326,815.

To all w/mm, it put concern:

Be it known that I, ROLLIN A. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gircuit- Closing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to circuit closing devices for use with trolley conductors, for the actuation of a track switch, railroad signal, or similar appliance, whenever a trolley car passes a given point.

The principal object of the invention is to of this character, which will operate with ears moving at very high speeds, without any tendency to throw the trolley wheel off of the wire. In other words, I aim to overcome the defect which has been incident to previous devices of this character of throwing the trolley wheel oil the wire when ever the cars are going fast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a circuit closing device which shall make a good electrical circuit of suflicient duration to operate a track switch or railroad signal regardless of a very high speed of the trolley car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, which shall be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, strong and durable, and easy to assemble into place.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination, in the location and in the arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth and shown, and finally particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a circuit closing device embodying the principles of my invention, in place upon a trolley conductor; Fig. 2 is a top view of the same; Fig. 3 is a bottom lan view of one end of the device, the trolley anger appearing in section; Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Fig. 3; F ig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing an illustrative circuit, and which may be used in connection with the present circuit closing device.

In the operation of electric trolley roads, there is a constantly increasing use of automatic devices, such as track "switches, railroad signals, and similar appliances requiring the completion of an electric circuit whenever the trolley car passes a given point, or, in some cases, whenever the motolnmn desires to have such circuit completed in )assing the given point. For this purpose it is possible to arrange a metallic strip or plate adjacent to the trolley conductor at the given point, so that the trolley wheel of the car, in )assing, establishes a connection from the trolley conductor to said strip and temporarily charges the same to the line potcu tial. Any connected electrical apparatus will, therefore, be operated while the trolley car is passing such strip or plate. But in practice it has been found that the presence of such a strip or ilate has a very strong tendency to throw t hc trolley wheel oil of the wire, particularly when the car is moving at a high speed. Inasmuch as high spceds arc now common, this diiiiculty has become a very serious one. Moreover when the trolley car is moving at a high speed, it passes a given point so quickly that comparatively little time is given for the actuation of the o e'rated mechanism which generally inc udes magnets requiring a certain time for their energization in use. In carrying out the present "invention I aim to overcome these various defects, and to rovide a trolley contact device, which ma (es a very efiicient circuit of sufficient duration for all practical purposes, but which exerts no tendency to throw the trolley wheel oil of the wire no matter how fast the car may be moving.

Referring now to the drawings in which like parts are designated by the same reference sign, 1 indicates a trolley conductor of the ordinary or any desired character, and? designates broadly a circuit closing device embodying the principles of my invention, which is supported directly above the trolley wire. In its preferred form this circuit closing device embodies a baseboard 3, conveniently of Wood, and taper ing in width from each end toward its central portion, as shown in Fi 3. At the central portion the baseboarr maintains a substantially uniform width for any required distance of longitudinal extent. The width of the baseboard at this central portion 4 preferably corresponds to the ordinary Width of a trolley wheel, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Depending from two side edges of the baseboard, I provide a series of resilient blades 5, and which overlap one another in their longitudinal arrangement. These spring blades extend along the central portion 4- of the baseboard, and also along the tapered portions (5 thereof. In the drawings I. have illustrated the blades 5 on one side of the baseboard as overlapping each other in. a direction opposite to that ol the plates on the other side. The purpose of this arrangement will later more l'ully appear. Any convenient means may be employed for attaching the blades in place upon the baseboard. 7 designate ordinary stove bolts, which. may be employed for this purpose, and passed through the various blades 5 at their overlapped portions, and through the material of the baseboard 3.

Attached to the various spring blades 5 and extending along the length of the apparatus, I provide resilient strips 8, which are secured to the blades by means of rivets or similar fastening devices 9, which are passed through ,the strips and through the blades at the overlapping portions of the latter. In this way the strips are resiliently supported in generally parallel relation above the trolley conductor, with a distance of separation equal to the width of an ordinary trolley wheel. The ends of the strips, however, d1- verge from one another, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In order to make a more efficient contact with the trolley wheel it is desirable to have all of the spring blades 5 tensioned so to approach the blades on the opposite side of the baseboard. In this way the strips 8 are correspondingly directed inward along their entire length, but are capable of being displaced by the passage of a trolley wheel.

10 designates a sheet metal cover or housing made U-shaped in section, and fastened upon the baseboard 3, by bolts 11, at each end. 'I he edges of this housing depend around the blades 5, and the strips 8, so as to protect the same from the weather. In order to make the construction stronger and to make a good electrical connection between the parts, I extend the ends of the strips 8 around the edges of the cover 10, as shown at 8" in Figs. 1 and 3, and fasten such ends in place by rivets 12. 13 indicates a metallic strap which extends on one end over the housing 10, and is riveted into close electrical connection therewith, and with the strips 8, by the rivets 12, above mentioned. This strap 13 constitutes the electric terminal connection, and for this purpose there is provided a binding post 14 thereon, to which any desired connecting wire may be clamped.

The complete circuit closing device is assembled in place by hangers 15, which are assed through the two ends of the base lioard 3, and which support .the trolley wire at the points 16. One of the hangers I5 is preferably disposed at the point of attachment of the usual guy wires of the trolley, the other hanger 15 being at a point larther along on the trolley wire in the direction in which the cars ordinarily move.

For the purpose of illustration I have indi cated diagrammatically in Fig. 5 a circuit which may be used in connection with the present circuitclosing device. In this figure the two strips 8, which are in electric connection with one another through the strap 11% above described. are connected to a solenoid magnet A, the circuit being con'ipleted to the ground at I3. C indicates an iLIIl'lilllII'Q, and l) indicates a device acted upon-by the armature, for example, a ratchet wheel which may be a part of a recording signal transmitter, such for example as is described in Patent No. 817,463, granted April 10, 1906.

The use and operation is as follows: When a car passes, its trolley wheel W moves along the trolley conductor 1, in which relation the flanges of the trolley wheel project above the conductor, as shown in Fig. 4. The position of the strips 8 is such that the flanges of the trolley wheel pass between the two strips, being guided in the central space therebetween by the divergent portions 6 thereof. At the moment when the trolley wheel strikes the strips these are deflected toward one another so that there is no tendency to throw the wheel downward. Any pressure which is imparted to the wheel by the strips is in a purely lateral direction, and the force of one strip counteracts that of the other, so that there is no resultant force imparted to the wheel to displace it. By virtue of the diverging ends of the strips, the trolley wheel enters the space between them in a very smooth and easy avay, and without any sudden shocks or strains. This is further true on account of the nature of the strips and their supportii'ig blades. The strips are of very light material, preferably thin sheet brass, and the blades are also of very thin light metal, so that there is practically no inertia. in the strips, or in their supports. This 18 of the very greatest importance, because when the trolley car is moving very fast, it is important that the strips be able to yield quickly and without resistance, and this can only be accomplished when their weight or inertia is very small. But although the weight and inertia is small, the construction is strong and durable, and the spring action is suthcient on account of the overlapping character of the blades 5. By having these separate from one another, but riveted togetner into an articulated series, the strips are supported with sufiicient inward sprin r tension, but in a very flexible way. This hexibility is further increased by the overlapping arrangement of the various blades, which, as above stated, is in an opposite direction on the two sides of the device. When the device is used with a double track installation. where the cars pass always in one direction on one track, the blades may be made to overlap in the same direction on both sides of the device, the overlapping corresponding to the direction of the car, but where the cars pass alternately in different directions, as on a single track, it is best to have the blades overlap in one direction on one side and in the other direction on the other side. The reason for having the blades overlap is that the passage of the trolley wheel resembles a wave action, and a wave action. is facilitated by such an overlapping character of the blades. The action is analogous to stroking a cats back against the direction of the fur and with it. it may be noted that the position of the various rivets or fastening devices 9, on the strips 8, is well above the topmost point of the trolley wheel, so that the latter does not contact with rivets in any case, but has a smooth surface on the strips on which it travels.

hat 1 claim, is:

'l. A circuit closing device for use with. a trolley conductor, comprising a series of depending blades in overlapped relation to one another, and a metallic strip fastened. thereto and located in the path of the trolley wheel of a car.

2. In a circuit closing device, a series of spring blades depending in. overlapping relation on either side of the trolley conductor, and a pair of resilient strips attached to said blades.

3. in a circuit closing device, a pair of resilient strips, and two series ol'overlapping blades for supporting said strips throughout their length.

4. in a circuit closing device, a pair of thin flexible hi hly resilient strips, and two series of blades for supporting said strips at a multiplicity of closely adjacent yielding areas along their length.

5. In a circuit closing device, a pairof thin flexible highly resilient strips depending adjacent to the trolley wire and in the path of the trolley wheel, and spring blades fastened to said strips at points above the path of the trolley wheel and supporting the strips at a innlti 'ilicity of closely adjacent yielding areas along their length.

6. in a circuit closing device, a series of re silient blades snppi'irted in overlapping relation, and a pair of resilient strips fastened to said blades so as to lie ap n'oxi matcly parallel to one another at their central portions but to diverge at the respective ends, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. in a circuit closing device, a baseboard having a series of blades depending from both. sides, and resilient strips fastened to said blades, said. baseboard being formed of vary ing width tapering inward. toward its central portion, whereby said strips diverge from one another at their respective ends.

8. In. a circuit closing device, a baseboard having a series of spring blades on both sides depending in overlapping relation to one another, and a pair of resilient strips fastened to said blades and if ing in the path of the trolley wheel of a car, the points of fastening lying above the path of said. wheel.

S]. In a circuit closing device, a lniseboard having depending spring blades thereon, strips supported by said blades, and, a housing or cover having side edges depending over said blades to protect the same from the weather.

ll]. in a circuit closing device, a baseboard having a series of spring blades in overlapping relation on both side edges, resilient strips supported by said blades, and a housing or cover having edges depending over said blades, said strips being riveted to said cover at both ends, as and for the purpose set forth.

1 l. in a circuit closing device, a baseboard having a hanger at each end whereby it is connected to a trolley conductor, a double series of spring blades depending from both sides of said baseboard, resilient strips supported by said spring blades and lying in the path of the trolley wheel of a car, and a cover or housing overlying said blades.

12. in a circuit closing device, a series of spring blades supported to depend adjacent to the trolley wheel, a resilient strip fastened to said blades and lying in the path of the trolley wheel of a car, a magnet and means operated thereby, and a circuit to ground including said magnet and leading from said strip.

in witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

.itOLLiiY A. BALDWIN.

Nitnesses:

Fnannincn M. VVARI), HERBERT B. lowNsnNn. 

